


(You Were) In My Dreams

by orangeCrates



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Blood, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-28
Updated: 2017-02-28
Packaged: 2018-09-27 10:05:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10004669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orangeCrates/pseuds/orangeCrates
Summary: Malik's life was pretty normal up until he started to be plagued by strange dreams. It wouldn't have even been such a big deal if things didn't start to bleed into the waking world.The cause of the problem was the last thing he could have expected. Either way, his boyfriend has some explaining to do.





	

**Author's Note:**

> For some reason I thought this would be hilarious. And then I started writing it and it....wasn't.

Kadar's hand waving in front of his face pulled Malik's attention back to him. Malik's fingers twitch reflexively as the sounds of the cafe they were in return in a rush and he realized he had no idea what they had been talking about or that his drink had already arrived.

There is a crease in Kadar's forehead as he frowns. Malik recognized the look, knew that there would have been more subtle shifts in his expression before it and that he had somehow missed them all. It was not like him to zone out like this and they both knew it, but Kadar doesn't push, only put his hand on Malik's forehead.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm just tired." He pushed Kadar's hand back, felt nervous about contact in a way he hadn't ever been. As if his words would be revealed for the lies they were if they were touching, as if Kadar might be able to deduce exactly what was wrong if Malik did not and the illogical fear that what was happening to him might be contagious.

At that thought, he picks up the mug of coffee with both hands and brings it up to drink from.

* * *

It began about six months ago with a dream.

There had been a child like thing in it that reached for Malik with small appendages that might one day form into hands. Its skin had been translucent to the point of being very nearly transparent. When Malik woke up, he would wonder about why he hadn't been terrified or repulsed. The thing he saw was the very image of disturbing and strange.

But in the dream, he hadn't recoiled when the thing touched him and cooed at him in a whispery soft voice.

* * *

He hadn't thought twice about it, except in passing to Kadar who just told him to not eat whatever he had eaten that night before sleeping.

It was just a weird dream. That's all it was.

Except the dream keeps invading Malik's mind when he sleeps. Over and over again it came to him in the darkness of night.

As the weeks went by, the thing became less child-like and more like a child, but it was still misshapen, with a head that was too big and its arms and legs were not proportionate. The landscape was always indistinct, but colourful and it only added to the oddness. The dreams were never unpleasant except when he woke up and tried to understand _why_.

After three weeks, he went to a walk-in clinic. Recurring dreams were not uncommon but it could be dangerous to not treat it properly. There had been enough news stories of people dying in their sleep and demon possessions for Malik to be wary.

The doctor asks him if he's been to any areas with high possibility of paranormal activities, like a funeral or a cemetery. The doctor nods as Malik answers and tells him 'no' and conducts a few tests. 

In the end, the doctor tells him there was nothing wrong with him they can detect. She prescribed him medicine that keep away the dreams.

"Take two before bed and the dreams shouldn't bother you anymore." She wrote out the prescription with a neat hand and Malik took it with a word of gratitude.

* * *

He took the medicine and drinks a glass of warm water to wash it down. Once he's settled on the bed, he drags Altair's pillow over and curls his body around it. Malik had grown used to the luxury of having another body to hold except during the weeks when Altair was away on what was, as far as Malik knew, some kind of annual family get-together that Altair never gave details about. Even so, normally sleeping without Altair there was not such a challenge. But tonight, Malik wanted nothing so much as he wanted his boyfriend _here_ instead of halfway across the world (wanted his stupid smirk, and his arrogant assurance that he could protect Malik from anything). He buried his nose in the pillow and settled for that as he drifts off to sleep.

* * *

The doctor said his sleep would be dreamless.

The doctor lied.

There was no child, no colour, _nothing_ at all to be seen, but there was an ear piercing _shriek_ that seemed to cause Malik's very bones to shake. He clamps his hands over his ears and it did nothing to help. It went on and on and, at some point, Malik realized the voice was crying.

"Stop." He said, because the voice is screaming something, but despite how the sound seemed to come from right beside him the words were indistinct as if coming from a distance. "I don't know what you're saying! Stop!"

Everywhere there was only darkness. In every corner there was this overwhelming feeling of anger and _fear_ that Malik thought he could choke on it--

* * *

Malik sat up suddenly, panics when he finds himself trapped only to kick out and realize his legs were just tangled in his sheets. He's panting and his heart beat-beating in his chest like he'd been running away. His breathing was impossibly _loud_ until he muffled it by pressing his face against Altair's pillow.

The darkness of the room was not the pitch black darkness of the dream and the room was blessedly silent. But the fear that had crawled under his skin had followed Malik into the waking world and he draws his knees up tight, pressing against the pillow in his arms.

He did not risk going back to sleep again.

* * *

Malik was back in the walk-in clinic the next day.

"It didn't work," He said, voice tight.

Whatever was in his expression made the doctor frown in concern.

"What happened?"

He explains the dream, his fingers nervously drumming on the tabletop.

"I think there's something in my head." He finished and did not like the look on the doctor's face.

"That is unlikely. You did not test positive for any type of possession." She pulls out a form with a frown, "We can run the tests again, but I would suggest seeing a specialist."

Malik's fingers stop their movements abruptly, "You mean a psychiatrist."

"Mr. Al-Sayf, we can test again to see if the cause of these dreams is supernatural in nature, but we must be prepared for the possibility that they may not be."

Malik doesn't exactly remember exactly what he answered (he was so damned _tired_ ), but he was told the results of the test they did today, far more thorough than the ones they did yesterday, would be ready in about a week.

He left the clinic feeling exhausted and returns to his car. He sits for a moment, with the key stuck in the ignition but with the engine turned off and reached for his phone. He dials Altair's number and only remembers about the time difference when Altair says, "Malik?" Like he had just woken up.

Malik took a moment to calculate the time and curses, "Shit. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up."

"It's fine." The voice on the other end is still rough with sleep, but just hearing it made some of the tension roll out of Malik's body. "What is it?"

"Nothing." He lied and it didn't sound convincing, but Altair must have been tired because he didn't question it, "I miss you."

"Me too." Malik couldn't see him, but he could easily imagine the expression on Altair's face. He closed his eyes and breathes out, focusing on that image instead until it chased every other worry away, "I can't wait to be home. You don't know how much I hate being away."

"Then take me with you next time." It was an old discussion, one that had led to an argument once upon a time because Malik thought it was because Altair was ashamed for Malik to meet his family. Ezio had been the one who had to come explain that, that wasn't it, that the reason was complicated but Malik was not some dirty secret being kept from everyone. It was not an answer, but Malik knew it was the truth. When he brought it up now, there was an understanding that Altair could say 'no' without repercussion.

"I wish I could." Altair yawned, "but you didn't call me at this hour just to ask me to take you with me next year." So much for not noticing.

"I can't call you because I want to hear your voice?"

"Malik..."

Malik sighed, "I'm fine. I've just been having weird dreams. The doctor says there's nothing wrong." That she can find.

Altair did not say anything immediately, a sure sign that he was probably frowning, "Do you want me to come back?"

 _Yes_.

"You don't have to--"

"If you need me I want to be there." Altair interrupted him, "I come every year. I came this year. They can deal with me leaving early."

"Altair, it's nothing I can't handle." And it didn't feel entirely like a lie now that they've spoken. When there was no response but a sullen and stubborn silence, Malik said, " _Altair._ "

"Fine." Then there was a sound like Altair had just fallen back against the bed, "but if you need it, tell me. I'll come back right away."

Malik chuckled, "You'd have to book a flight back first. Go back to sleep, don't do anything stupid." Then, "I love you."

"...love you too." The words are muffled and Malik was sure Altair must have fallen asleep again.

* * *

Malik did not take the medicine again that night. He ends up working on his paper. He did not do it in an effort to avoid sleep but because it was a necessity. The fact that he did not want to risk dreaming the same dream from the night before was merely a bonus.

But he couldn't avoid sleep forever, try as he might, and he eventually fell asleep at his desk, his cursor still blinking on the screen.

* * *

The child was running towards him with fat tears rolling down his cheeks and unhappy hiccups and sobs as he collided with Malik's legs, wrapping his arms around them. The child's features were always indistinct and Malik found himself unable to remember them in the light of the morning and that was hardly the most disturbing thing. Still, when Malik gently peeled the child's grip from around his knee (which was met with wailing protest), he did not push it away. Instead, he crouched down to wipe the tears from fat, baby cheeks. He had no sooner started before the child through itself at him, wrapping small arms around his neck.

The way Malik rubbed its back was instinctual, not purposeful when he asked, "who are you? What do you want with me?"

He got no reply except for the way the grip on him tightened and the way the child pushed its face against the crook of his neck.

* * *

In the cafe again, Kadar said, "you've been to the doctor, right? What did they say?"

"She gave me medicine." He said and didn't mention that he wasn't taking it, or the specialist she'd recommended him to.

But Kadar must had guessed before his expression became a flat-lined frown of disapproval.

"But you're not taking it?"

"It doesn't help." Malik's chair scraped against the floor when he pushed it back to stand. "I should go. There's a test coming up and I need to study."

"Does Altair know?" Silence was Malik's answer and, really, it was all the answer Kadar needed.

"He's so far away. And you know there are so many regulations about teleportation magics. There's no need to worry him."

"Well," Kadar started, "I live a ten minute bus ride away. Call me if you need someone to come watch movies with you or--or something."

Kadar was worried, that much was obvious and it made Malik feel guilty. "Okay." He said, "but I really do have to go."

* * *

The dreams themselves weren't the problem, not on their own. Whatever the child was, it didn't seem to be malicious and the dreams, when Malik didn't think too hard about them, were actually fairly relaxing.

But the period of time when it wasn't a bother was short lived and it was a few days after Malik had begun to accept the dreams as a strange quirk that might eventually fade that he began to hear sounds and voices that should not be there.

It started on the subway with the sound of a loud crash that had Malik jumping out of his seat, eyes wide and face pale. But no one seemed to have heard, the only other person that reacted was a lady who had been asleep beside him whom he had jostled and the sound was abruptly cut off.

It continued to happen seemingly at random (it was the sound of crashing waves in class, a scream and running footsteps as he passed through the park), and far from disappearing they became clearer until Malik saw a flash of a forest in front of his eyes briefly while he stood at the crosswalk. As the car in front of him drove off as the lights turned green, he could hear the sound of a child's laughter.

* * *

He went back to the doctors office to pick up his report.

"There is nothing out of the ordinary that we could detect." The doctor said and pulled out a piece of paper to scribble a name and a phone number on it, "I can refer you to a specialist. We'll call you when an appointment has been set up." She slid the piece of paper over to him, "do you have any preferences for dates?"

* * *

"What is happening to me?" Malik asked of the child curled on his chest. He had fallen asleep over on his textbook, his chest tight with the possibility that he was going mad, to a warm meadow dotted with indistinct wild flowers.

The breeze was a gentle brush against his skin and the child laying on his chest was a warm weight that made all the worries of the world seem far away. There was a reply, but not one with any words as the child giggled and snuggled closer.

* * *

"Hey! This isn't funny! Open the door, Malik! Malik!"

Altair came home to Kadar banging on the door of the apartment he shared with Malik. He didn't stop to wonder about that before he was dragging his suitcase over.

"What's going on?"

Kadar stopped what he was doing but he didn't answer the question. "Oh, thank god you're back. Get this door open. _Now_." Kadar didn't have the same explosive temper Malik did but he was leaving no room for argument when he said it.

In response, Altair scowled, but still fished his keys out. "What the hell is happening?" (Because he had come back early because he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something wrong that Malik wasn't telling him.)

"I don't fucking know?" Kadar threw his hands up, "I just know he hasn't been answering his phone. He promised to come over and help mom with something and he never showed up."

Altair did not say, 'maybe he fell asleep studying' because while that was true they both knew Malik was a light sleeper and that he never missed an appointment.

When he got the door open, Kadar shoved him out of the way and went in first.

"Malik! I swear you better be okay--"

They found him in his room, sleeping at his desk and Altair had enough time to feel relieved before he realized Malik had slept through (was still sleeping through) his alarm which continued to beep obnoxiously.

"Malik." He shook him and Malik kept on sleeping, his breathing even and deep even as Altair pushed his shoulder. "Hey, wake up. Malik!"

* * *

_Malik!_

As the bright red ball left his hand and rolled on the grass towards the child, Malik looked up.

"Altair?" He asked right before there was a giggle and the ball bumped up against his leg again.

The child clapped cheerfully, but when Malik didn't roll the ball back towards it, it stood up and stumbled towards him. Malik, who was frowing into the distance, turned his head back when the child fell into his lap.

He sighed down at it, "what are you doing?"

_"Why the fuck isn't he waking up?"_

Malik sat up straighter, his hand still on the child's back when he thought he heard his brother's voice (sounding like it was coming through water, clear and yet indistinct). He ignored the child's hand slapping against his knee, insistent to have his attention again.

_"Call Leonardo."_

_"Who's Leonardo? What's going on?"_

_"You'll find him in my contacts. Tell him it's an emergency and that he needs to come immediately."_

_"Okay--wait. What are you going to do?"_

The answer came as the sound of something like thunder and, Malik's hand tightened on the child's back reflexively. The sky had been a marvelous blue, clear and cloudless before there was suddenly a split in it, a large rip with jagged edges and Malik gasped when it appeared, not from surprise (though he did feel that), but from a sudden, burning pain in his head.

His body bowed forward and the child in his lap _screamed_ as a bird (an eagle with golden eyes) came in through the crack.

When the eagle's beak opened it did not screech like a bird, but spoke in man's voice.

It said, "Malik!" like relief (like anger), but its talons grabbed at the child in Malik's arms, "get away from him!"

The sky darkened to a stormy black and Malik could feel the fear that choked everything.

"Stop!" Malik batted at the sharp talons, pulling the sobbing child closer to himself. "What is going on?"

The eagle landed with a shake of its--his wings. "Malik, you're asleep. We can't wake you up. It is almost certainly the doing of that thing." Eagles had no fingers with which to gesture but he did the best he could with one wing, to the child clinging to Malik.

"Altair?" Despite the eagle looking like, well, an _eagle_ there was something about the eyes that certainly reminded Malik of Altair. Still holding onto the child who was glaring at Altair the Eagle suspiciously with one arm, Malik reached up to rub at his face. "Assuming I believe you, what proof do you have? People don't just fall asleep and--what? Not wake up? That doesn't happen unless a curse is involved! And who would curse _me_?"

Curses were double-edged swords and often the last resort of desperately angry people. Malik could very well have offended someone but not in the sort of way that demanded a retribution like this.

Altair the Eagle cocked his head and gestured again with his wing towards the child in Malik's arms.

"This child has never tried to hurt me."

"Malik..."

"No." Malik wasn't even forceful when he said it. When he thought about it, it made sense. The child's appearance was the start of all these weird happenings, after all. Now that he was aware it was a dream, he felt oddly calm about all of it. "I do not know what this is, but it is not a curse." Then he looked down at the child still clinging to him and he said, "If this really is your doing, I'd like to wake up now."

The child shook its head, wilted when Malik looked at him disapprovingly, but stubbornly continued to _refuse_.

_"What is the emergency?"_

_"Holy shit! Where did you come from?"_

Malik frowned towards the sky. "Is that my brother?"

_"Now, where is Altair?"_

_"I don't know! He just disappeared! I guess he was doing what you did except instead of appearing he--he went away? Where did he go I thought transportation magic needed a lot of calculations and stuff?"_

_"It does. But he did not use that magic. Hm..."_

The sky seemed to ripple briefly, then, much more clearly before, it was, "hello? Altair? I assume this is where you are?"

"Yes." The eagle said, "Leonardo, there is something keeping Malik here."

"Yes, yes. But need I remind you that it is dangerous enough for trained mages or espers to pull off what you are doing. You could have seriously harmed him by doing this. Now--oh. This is _interesting_."

"What is?" Malik said to Leonardo because Altair was muttering under his breath (because Leonardo sounded _keen_ and that was not always a good thing).

"This is the work of a god. Or a goddess. I have no idea, truly."

Malik said, "there are no gods left." but he was staring at Altair who was shuffling awkwardly in place.

He sighed when Malik continued to stare at him (and Leonardo continued to say nothing). "There are some. But our numbers are few." He turned back to the sky, "there are none whose powers involve putting people into eternal slumber or to invade dreams."

"There _were_ none." Leonardo corrected. Then he said, "I'll call Adewale."

"Who is Adewale?" Malik shifted and the child in his arms made a sound of protest at being jostled. Altair was staring at it with wide eyes. The child blew a raspberry at him.

"An old friend." He took a few steps closer, slow and careful, "And also a god of motherhood and childbirth."

"...I'm sorry. What?"

The child became upset when Altair came too close, started fussing and pressing closer to Malik. Altair stopped, shuffled a bit before taking a few steps back. "You might be pregnant. With my child."

"I'm a _man_!"

"I'm not." Then he added, "not exactly? I had been once. A long time ago."

"And now you're what? A woman? A stupid bird?"

Altair did not sigh, but looked at Malik straight on, "A god."

* * *

Adewale did not appear in Malik's dream as Altair did, but spoke as Leonardo did, his voice as rumble in the sky not unlike thunder.

He said, "safety and peace, child."

And the edges of the dream turned dark and swallowed everything. Right before Malik woke up he saw the child in his arms yawn and close his eyes.

Then Malik's opened and there was a hand on his head that slowly lifted away.

The first thing he noticed when he sat up was that his neck _hurt_. He winced as he rubbed at it just as Kadar got in his face.

"What happened? Are you okay?"

"I don't know? My neck is killing me."

Altair stood further away, looking guilty and Malik thought, he should be angry at the idiot.

"You are fine." Adewale said. Malik had never met Adewale before (did not realize Altair had any friends at all). He did not look like any god of motherhood Malik would had imagined. But it was calming when he spoke.

"Just pregnant?"

"Yes." He said and Malik thought, even if they were all gods they were taking this too calmly. Then again, hadn't he once read a story about a goddess being born from her father's head. So maybe this wasn;t so strange for them. "Your child is a god of dreams. He is clumsy with his powers and doesn't understand that you cannot live in his domain. We should probably bring him into this realm to be safe."

While it was a relief that he wasn't cursed or going insane, Malik now needed to come to terms with the idea of fatherhood (which he had considered once or twice) and the fact that he's pregnant (not something he had ever thought to expect).

"Will it involve breaking my head open?"

Altair winced, but Adewale only laughed, the sound deep and rich with mirth. "No, we won't need to do that." He looked between them, "Leonardo and I can gather the supplies. You two should talk."

* * *

They were left to sit together in silence that they were both desperate to break, but hesitant about how to do it.

In the end, unsurprisingly, it was Altair who spoke first.

"You should have told me." It was not an accustion, exactly, but he certainly sounded angry. After everything, Malik wasn't interested in being lectured.

"You could have told me you were a god." He said sharply and Altair growled.

"The fact that you didn't know I was a god wasn't putting you at risk--"

"So what do you call this?" Malik gesture at his whole person (absent a rounded stomach to gesture at) and regretted it immediately when Altair's mouth tightened into a hard line. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."

"No, you're right." Altair sighed and sank down to sit on the bed. "I hadn't considered the possibility but it was there. I should have told you, and I shouldn't be yelling at you."

Malik sat down beside him and reached out to pull him against his side. "I didn't think it was worth telling you. You were so far away and I thought--I don't know. I guess I wasn't really thinking."

"Well, don't do that next time." The words were snide, but Altair said it whie turning his head to bump their noses together.

"Is there anything else I should know about you? Do you have a jealous wife who will smite me and turn our child into a monster over this?"

"No, I don't have a wife." Altai said with a laugh. "The reason for that is a longer story."

"I think we have some time."

* * *

"Do you want to keep the child?"

The question came during a lull in their conversation in between, "I thought all gods died centuries ago?" and "but what are you a god of exactly?". Their fingers were linked and it was the only question Altair hadn't needed to answer thus far.

Malik thought about it, then shrugged.

"I want a child. I just never thought I'd be the one giving birth." Malik turned his head a little. "Do you?"

"I do." Altair leaned against his side and his acceptance of it seemed to come so easily when he'd always seemed to hesitate on the subject. "It won't be easy."

"If rumours are to be believed: it never is." 

* * *

Adewale brought them a bucket and a knife.

He said, "your child should be strong enough to be born. He cannot control his powers by himself yet and you are unfit to help him control it. This is the safest option."

The knife was silver in colour, glinting blue when the light hit it. Maslik was wary, but Altair was outright suspicious of it. "What is the knife for?"

"Your child has no physical form. We will need your blood." He passed the knife to Altair first who didn't hesitate to make a cut on his arm deep enough for blood to drip into the bucket.

Nervous didn't quite describe how Malik felt about the whole proceedings. Altair had assured him that Adewale knew what he was doing and that Leonardo was a the patron god of physicians and healers. That knowledge did not make the stone at the pit of his stomach feel much lighter.

"That's enough." Adewale said when Altair had filled the bucket up to the first marker with blood. Leonardo stepped in, but not to help Altair who went to press a cloth to his own wound. Instead, the knife was handed over to Leonardo who beckoned him close.

"We mustn't make a cut in the wrong place." He said and took Malik's arm. He rolled up the sleeve all to the way to just above Malik's elbow, like a doctor prepared to draw blood with a needle. He cut, neatly and quickly into the inside of Malik's elbow. The blade was so sharp Malik barely felt himself being cut.

The blood welled and dripped down his arm that was positioned to let the blood land inside the bucket.

"Is this all?" Malik asked as he watched his blood became small rivers on his arm. "I don't need to do anything else?"

Adewale placed a hand over his forehead. "No." He said and Malik felt a prick in the back of his head, and there was the--his _son_ again at the back of his mind. He seemed to yawn before Malik felt a spike of confusion and discontent. Adewale still had a hand on his forehead and he thought he could hear his voice though his mouth never moved.

_"It's time to come out."_

But the child fought against the idea.

He was scared.

"It's okay." Malik said and something inside him became hyperfocused on the words. "It's safe."

He felt his own attention shift to the corner, where Altair was standing and watching the proceedings with wide eyes.

"He didn't mean to scare you." Malik whispered and as Adewale drew his hands away from his head, fingers closing together like he was pinching something between his thumb and fingers, Malik winced. His head hurt, all of a sudden and he thought he could hear crying.

The sudden dizziness he felt could have been caused by bloodloss for all he knew, but it felt like he was _closer_ to his son and the dreamworld that was his home all of a sudden.

He said, "we haven't given you a name." The world seemed to slip out of focus for a moment. When Malik's vision cleared again he was leaning against Altair. It was insignificant. His words were slurred when he continued, "you need a name." His eyes slipped closed and he wasn't listening to the background noise of people shouting around him as the flow of blood coming out of his arm went from a trinkle to _gushing_.

The blood loss should be worrying, but Malik thought, he could almost sense it, the mind of his child coming to terms with this frightening new experience. "Tazim. Your name is Tazim."

The wound on his arm was _painful_ as the blood pushed its way out hard enough to be painful and he hissed as he was dragged back.

The blood was getting onto the floor. It'd be hell to clean up afterwards...

His breathing was shallow as someone applied pressure to the wound on his arm. He was focused on the blood inside the bucket which swirled and rose until it took on a rounded, head shape and then--

\--there was crying. The angry wail of a child that had been brought into the world and found it too cold, too dry and too big for it. It cried and Malik pushed his way out of Altair's suddenly lax arms and stumbled to the side of the bucket.

There was no indication that there had been blood inside it, only a small, squawling child with tiny fists waving in the air. Malik reached out a hand and brushed it over his son's fat cheek. "Hello." He said right before he fell to the side and passed out.

* * *

Hours later, after Leonardo had left him with medicine for the anemia, Malik was lying in bed watching Altair bounce their child in his arms, with a stupid expression of wonder on his face.

"Tazim is a good name." He said finally when he sat down beside Malik.

"Thank you." Malik mumbled, closing his eyes. He felt Altair lean over to press a kiss on his forehead and he said, "go shower your affections on your son and let me sleep."

Despite his complaints, he squeezed back when Altair took his hand in his.

"Darim is also a good name." He said after he took his hand back. "As is Sef."

Malik said, "I'm not having any more of your demigod babies."

Whatever answer Malik expected it was not laughter. "You do not have to. It is your body after all." Altair sat with his back against the headboard, settling down beside him as their son slept in his arms (he would not have been able to hold Tazim otherwise. The boy had refused to stop crying while being held by him earlier). "I will accept whatever decision you make."

"But you'd like a child to name Darim or Sef?"

Malik cracked open his eyes then, but Altair wasn't even looking at him. He was cooing down at Tazim's sleeping face, stroking the boy's soft cheeks.

He rolled onto his side and placed his hand at Altair's elbow. "Will he live as long as you?" Malik said softly. Until today, he hadn't really considered what would happen if he died. But if he died, what would happen to Altair? No matter how hard he tried to pretend it didn't matter, Altair was the sort of person who got attached to easily to things and people.

"Leonardo said he'd have to run a test. In the pantheon I belonged to, there were many factors that affected a demi-god's life span."

Malik let his hand drop, and idly kneaded the pant fabric at Altair's thigh between his fingers. Slowly, he slid wriggled closer until he could lean his forhead against Altair's hip. He said, "next time. You carry the child."

He closed his eyes as a hand settled on his head, petting his hair. "Rest, Malik. You've earned it."


End file.
